Brian's Introduction

By Brian Walsh (Founder & CEO of Entrepreneur.co.za)

The biggest issue I have come across with regards to entrepreneurs and their employees is that entrepreneurs usually tend to have higher expectations of their employees than do medium or large companies that employ a large number of people. We value our money as entrepreneurs, and if we are giving some of it to someone else we expect a lot in return. You need to be aware of this issue, and ensure that you stipulate exactly what is expected of your employees from day one. Again, putting detailed job descriptions and expectations in writing is essential.

In my years of interacting with literally hundreds of entrepreneurs, I have to say that in many cases the entrepreneur is as much to blame as the employee where performance expectations are not met. It is the responsibility of the entrepreneur to manage and motivate the employee, and to ensure that he or she has the necessary tools for the job, as well as a good working environment. I have found that this is often neglected by the entrepreneur. However, if you have provided these and the employee is still not performing to the required level, you need to intervene.

Once again, this boils down to the dynamics of relationships as we have addressed in Partnership Challenges. You need to communicate effectively in order to get the desired result. You need to understand that people are emotional, and in order to get through to them you need to ensure you don’t push the wrong buttons. People will seek to please others whom they like and respect. Remember, just because a person isn’t performing, doesn’t mean that they can’t perform well.

Let me share a story with you that I believe illustrates the point quite well. My foster daughter, who was 13 at the time, had a particular Grade 7 English teacher who she didn’t like. I noticed her marks where dropping and she often complained about this particular teacher. I asked her what the problem was, and she said that the teacher was mean and that not many of the children liked her. I suggested that perhaps the teacher wasn’t really mean, but that maybe she was just frustrated and struggling to get her pupils to perform. I asked my daughter if she made much effort in the class, and she replied that she often handed assignments in late, and didn’t complete homework. I suggested she try a different approach, and that maybe then the teacher might reveal herself to be a nicer person. I suggested she work extra hard in her class, deliver her assignments on time and do her homework thoroughly. I also said she should greet the teacher every day, and go to her whenever she didn’t understand something. She took my advice, and later rated this particular teacher as her best teacher, and she thrived in her class!

I guess the point I am trying to illustrate is that relationships are often driven by perceptions, which then translate into actions. You can work wonders by changing your behaviour towards your staff, and thereby changing the way they perceive you. Communicate with them, encourage and praise them. Challenge them and reward them appropriately. You’ll be amazed at what this simple change in approach can achieve.

If an employee issue is of a more serious nature, for instance involving a conduct violation, refer to the Human Resources section for more assistance.

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